Youth Disadvantage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no age discrimination for 30 year olds. If this is just your best guess why you are being passed over, it might not be reason at all. You need to sit down with your boss and talk about your career plans and ask for their feedback. Ask what you need to do or improve on to be promoted to the next level.

I totally disagree. There is age discrimination for this age group. 30 is young in the professional world, especially in a government job. I'm not in a govt job but see age discrimination at my work place ALL the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no age discrimination for 30 year olds. If this is just your best guess why you are being passed over, it might not be reason at all. You need to sit down with your boss and talk about your career plans and ask for their feedback. Ask what you need to do or improve on to be promoted to the next level.

Thank you. I hope that's the case. When I've asked for feedback, my supervisors (not the hiring officials) have always told me I'm doing everything I need to be doing to get promoted. The positions have always gone to individuals older than myself. My theory might be faulty but if we assume it to be true, I'd still be interested in any advice.

Do these individuals have the same credentials as you, but more experience? If you are in an organization where everyone's skills are the same and the main differentiator is years of experience, you will probably face this situation for a while until there are more junior people and you become the one with more years of experience. If years of experience is a factor in considering candidates, it's not discrimination, it's choosing the right person for the role.

Also, does your organization consider seniority when promoting? Do you work for the government?

Btw I don't say this to be mean, just that as a hiring manager, years of experience is usually an important consideration.

Your time will come. In the meantime, do things that distinguish yourself from your older, more experienced colleagues. Sign up for a detail. Take some relevant training, including leadership classes. You say you don't socialize at work: this could be working against you. You don't need to go to every happy hour, but make sure you show up occasionally.

Yes, I do work for the government. No offense taken. You may be right that it's simply years of experience and that "my time will come," as many of my mentors have said to me. I guess when I hear years of experience, I don't necessarily think that's a great factor since I know many people with much more experience than me but who are simply less capable. But, I'm biased...

[Anonymous]

Op, I don't know what you do for a living, but you sound ambitious. Maybe the government isn't the best work environment for you? If you were able to move to private sector I suspect you'd get promoted faster and there'd be less deference to age.

[Anonymous]

Age discrimination is a legal term for those over 40.

You are 30. If you graduated college at the age of 20, you still only have 10 years of full time work experience.

In DC, young people are so funny.

You think that because you took AP classes in high school, scored high on the SAT, or attended a certain college that you are a star and you should be the boss by the time you are 25. Everyone else around you, especially those older people, are idiots and you are the most competent in your office.

And you think that because anomalies like Mark Zuckerberg happen at your age, that posting photos of yourselves in bikinis and partying with your friends on Facebook, you too would be a CEO, or at least the person on charge.

[Anonymous]

You have to push to get promotions. Let everyone know you want the job, know what you have to do to get the job, prepare yourself to move on if things do not open up. Know what you want, focus on it and get it, be aggressive.

[Anonymous]

I'm 29, OP, and I've never experienced age discrimination in my government job - was promoted very quickly - and now I'm moving into the private sector as a VP of a non-profit. I'm 15 years junior to the next youngest VP.

My best friend had a similar background in Government before leapfrogging several times to his current position as a VP in a major company. No age discrimination there either.

I have a few friends that are in your position. What I can honestly tell you is despite their competence, intelligence, and drive, they come across very juvenile. Everyone in the office KNOWS they are in their 20s/30s. Is it fair? Of course not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Age discrimination is a legal term for those over 40.

You are 30. If you graduated college at the age of 20, you still only have 10 years of full time work experience.

In DC, young people are so funny.

You think that because you took AP classes in high school, scored high on the SAT, or attended a certain college that you are a star and you should be the boss by the time you are 25. Everyone else around you, especially those older people, are idiots and you are the most competent in your office.

And you think that because anomalies like Mark Zuckerberg happen at your age, that posting photos of yourselves in bikinis and partying with your friends on Facebook, you too would be a CEO, or at least the person on charge.

This person put it more bluntly than I would, but s/he is right. When I was in my 20s, I worked hard but respected that I was a junior employee and knew someday I'd rise up the ranks as I gained more experience. This was true of even the most arrogant young 'uns at the office. My only guess is that technology has made young people today believe they have an advantage that makes them indispensable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Age discrimination is a legal term for those over 40.

You are 30. If you graduated college at the age of 20, you still only have 10 years of full time work experience.

In DC, young people are so funny.

You think that because you took AP classes in high school, scored high on the SAT, or attended a certain college that you are a star and you should be the boss by the time you are 25. Everyone else around you, especially those older people, are idiots and you are the most competent in your office.

And you think that because anomalies like Mark Zuckerberg happen at your age, that posting photos of yourselves in bikinis and partying with your friends on Facebook, you too would be a CEO, or at least the person on charge.

This person put it more bluntly than I would, but s/he is right. When I was in my 20s, I worked hard but respected that I was a junior employee and knew someday I'd rise up the ranks as I gained more experience. This was true of even the most arrogant young 'uns at the office. My only guess is that technology has made young people today believe they have an advantage that makes them indispensable.

OP here - I like these two posts the most because 1) I don't live in DC and 2) I am terrible with "technology." I don't even have FB. The thread is becoming more interesting though - there are so many assumptions about young-ish professionals coming through from probably older professionals that I feel like my original point is being somewhat validated. To those making an actual effort to counsel on how to overcome these biases, thank you.

[Anonymous]

Horrible at technology at your age. Really! You can't be as exceptional as you think you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Horrible at technology at your age. Really! You can't be as exceptional as you think you are.

+1

[Anonymous]

Age discrimination occurs at both ends, young and old. OP, it might be that their overall knowledge is deeper and their institutional memory more valuable. Your time will come.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no age discrimination for 30 year olds. If this is just your best guess why you are being passed over, it might not be reason at all. You need to sit down with your boss and talk about your career plans and ask for their feedback. Ask what you need to do or improve on to be promoted to the next level.

Really depends on the organization and the job. Where I work there are a number of management jobs that wouldn't go to a 30 year old no matter how qualified they actually were.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Age discrimination is a legal term for those over 40.

You are 30. If you graduated college at the age of 20, you still only have 10 years of full time work experience.

In DC, young people are so funny.

You think that because you took AP classes in high school, scored high on the SAT, or attended a certain college that you are a star and you should be the boss by the time you are 25. Everyone else around you, especially those older people, are idiots and you are the most competent in your office.

And you think that because anomalies like Mark Zuckerberg happen at your age, that posting photos of yourselves in bikinis and partying with your friends on Facebook, you too would be a CEO, or at least the person on charge.

This person put it more bluntly than I would, but s/he is right. When I was in my 20s, I worked hard but respected that I was a junior employee and knew someday I'd rise up the ranks as I gained more experience. This was true of even the most arrogant young 'uns at the office. My only guess is that technology has made young people today believe they have an advantage that makes them indispensable.

I'm pushing 50, and IMO there are a LOT of older workers who want to think they their years of experience make them really valuable when all it really does it make them older. There is some truth to what you're saying in terms of young kids being impatient to move up, but in my experience time in a job doesn't always lead to more value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Age discrimination is a legal term for those over 40.

You are 30. If you graduated college at the age of 20, you still only have 10 years of full time work experience.

In DC, young people are so funny.

You think that because you took AP classes in high school, scored high on the SAT, or attended a certain college that you are a star and you should be the boss by the time you are 25. Everyone else around you, especially those older people, are idiots and you are the most competent in your office.

And you think that because anomalies like Mark Zuckerberg happen at your age, that posting photos of yourselves in bikinis and partying with your friends on Facebook, you too would be a CEO, or at least the person on charge.

This person put it more bluntly than I would, but s/he is right. When I was in my 20s, I worked hard but respected that I was a junior employee and knew someday I'd rise up the ranks as I gained more experience. This was true of even the most arrogant young 'uns at the office. My only guess is that technology has made young people today believe they have an advantage that makes them indispensable.

OP here - I like these two posts the most because 1) I don't live in DC and 2) I am terrible with "technology." I don't even have FB. The thread is becoming more interesting though - there are so many assumptions about young-ish professionals coming through from probably older professionals that I feel like my original point is being somewhat validated. To those making an actual effort to counsel on how to overcome these biases, thank you.

It's because we don't see a bias. We see someone who is perhaps overestimating her own worth.

[Anonymous]

I am a woman over 40. When the 30 and under crowd of women at my new job learned I was making over six figures, they were vicious toward me. I was a new hire. I also had graduate degrees, so I wouldn't use the employee tuition assistant. I had the clearance and the experience, never had kids.

What I really had that my employer found valuable, which would have helped the entire company, including the younger women, was my overflowing Rolodex (in today's terms - I had numerous industry contacts). I spent a lifetime building not just my résumé, but these relationships, to be fair, young people did not have yet.

As far as advice, I found the younger women such as yourself did not want to heed my advice as a mentor. I would never have advised any one to out off having kids and a family. Instead of learning from those with more experience or seeking advice on how to build a résumé, most younger people just wanted to leapfrog into a higher-paying job, wanted to be in charge but not be responsible.

Be careful what you ask for.